If you have a worm farm, one of the common questions that you might have is how often to change the worm bedding. You can make your worm bedding to help reduce and recycle organic waste. Kitchen food scraps and the leaves in the garden can be made into worm bedding so you do not have to throw anything. But how often should you change your worm bedding? Let us find out the answer below.
How often should you change worm bedding? Worm bedding should be changed every six to nine months. Of course, it will have to depend on the condition of the bedding. Some bedding needs to be changed more often than others. Moreover, the top six to eight inches of the bedding need to be turned every seven to ten days. One of the signs that you need to change the bedding is when the top becomes too concentrated because of worm castings.
You might be interested in raising earthworms to be used in making compost for your garden. Making worm bedding is easy and you can use organic waste from your property. When is the best time to change worm bedding? What are the different types of worm beddings? When should you empty the worm bin? These are some of the questions that we will discuss. Check out the rest of the article below for more tips and ideas.
When is the Best Time to Change the Worm Bedding?
The best time to change the worm bedding is when it gets too concentrated because of worm castings. How often you need to change the bedding will have to depend on the number of worms and bedding that you have. If you have a lot of worms, you need to frequently change the bedding. Moreover, you need to consider the type of bedding that you have. For beddings made of peat moss, you need to change it about every 2 weeks.
When to Empty and Clean the Worm Bin?
You need to empty the worm bin if there are insects and eggs in the bedding. Before emptying the bin, you first need to remove the castings. Once you have emptied the bin, clean it to remove any unwanted smell. Place new bedding into the bin and return the worms.
What are the Two Types of Worm Bedding?
The two types of worm bedding are the raised worm bed and the dug-in worm bed. Each type has its pros and cons. Before starting a worm farm, you need to consider what the best type of worm bed is for you. Let us learn more about each type of worm bed below.
Raised Worm Bed
This type of worm bed is the best option if you want an easy DIY worm bed project. For this, you need to create a raised garden bed. Wood is the best material for the raised bed. Build a simple box that measures about 3 feet by 6 feet. Make sure to build the raised worm bed in a shaded spot in your garden.
Avoid too much sun exposure because it can dry the bedding. On the other hand, if there is no shaded area in your garden, you can build a frame around the raised bed that you can use to drape a cloth to provide shade.
Dug-in Worm Bed
This type of worm bed is dug in the ground. To create a dug-in worm bed, you need to dig a hole in your garden. Then, line the sides of the hole with bricks, cinder blocks, or boards. Use cardboard to line the bottom part of the hole. The good thing about this type of worm bed is that you can choose whatever size you want. If you have a lot of space in our garden, you can build a large dug-in worm bed.
What are the Different Types of Worm Bedding Materials to Choose From?
The different types of worm bedding materials to choose from include cardboard, crushed dried leaves, peat moss, shredded newspaper, and aged compost. You can choose whatever bedding material you have in your home. On the other hand, you can combine different types of materials for the worm bed rather than using one type of material.
Choose the materials that create the right balance for the bedding. By doing this, you can provide the best conditions where the worms can survive and easily reproduce. Below are some of the different bedding materials for worms.
Shredded Newspaper
One of the materials that you can use for worm bedding is shredded newspaper. It makes good bedding for worms and is a good way to recycle old newspapers. Tear the newspaper into long strips and add it to the worm bed.
Cardboard
Another material that you can use for the bedding is cardboard. It is a good material because it can absorb moisture and also have a lot of air pockets. When using cardboard, see to it that you shred it into small pieces. This will enhance the airflow and makes it easier for the worms to eat.
Peat Moss
You can also use peat moss for the worm bedding. This is an excellent material because it has a great water-absorbent feature. On the other hand, you need to be careful with the amount of peat moss that you use. Too much peat moss is also bad for the worms because of its acidic nature.
Aged Compost
If you have aged compost in your garden, you can use it for the worm bedding. You can mix it with other materials. When using manure, it should be at least six months old to be considered safe for the worms. Use whatever type of manure is available. On the other hand, horse manure is a popular option because it has an ideal nitrogen level as compared to poultry manure.
Crushed Dried Leaves
If you have a lot of dried leaves lying around your backyard, do not burn them because they can be used as worm bedding. This is also an ideal way to recycle dried leaves.
Tips for Making the Ideal Worm Bedding
When starting on a worm farm, you need to add a few worms to the bedding to find out how if the worms are thriving or not. By doing this, you will not kill all of the worms in case the condition or the bedding is not ideal. Make sure to change the bedding frequently. A common sign that the bedding needs to be changed is when it becomes too concentrated with castings from the worms. The more worms that you have, the more frequent you have to change the bedding.
✅ Video – Harvesting Worm Castings
Plant Abundance shared the video below on YouTube. It discusses how to harvest worm castings. In the video, the step-by-step guide on how to separate the worms from the castings is discussed. Watch the video to learn more about the process.
What is an Ideal Bedding for Worms?
The ideal bedding for worms should have a neutral PH, does not contain things that can harm the sensitive skin of worms, allows good oxygen flow, and can retain moisture. When planning a worm farm, one of the things that you need to consider is the type of bedding that you will use. Take note that the ideal bedding can also be eaten by worms.
The bedding consists of about fifty percent of the worm’s diet. There are many types of materials that you can use for the bedding. A popular option is a cardboard. Shred the cardboard into small pieces to allow proper airflow and place it in the worm bed. You can also check out this article that discusses if worms will eat banana peels. We have shared an in-depth discussion about the topic.
How Do You Add Bedding into the Worm Bin?
Choose a material for the bedding and damp it with water before placing it into the worm bin. For instance, if you are using newspaper, shred it, moisten it, and layer it into the worm bed. The bedding should be moist. This is because the moisture level of the bedding material should be about eighty percent.
It should feel like a damp sponge, but be careful that it does not drip. Aside from that, the bedding should not matt into larger chunks because it can hinder airflow and lead to a bad smell. Keep the worm bed moist, but not too wet. Make sure to add food regularly. You can also read this article that discusses if compost bins need holes in the bottom. We have shared helpful information that you can refer to.
Why Do You Need to Regularly Stir the Worm Bin?
Some would prefer stirring the worm bed so that the contents are mixed up. However, there is no need to do this because the worms will get the job done. The movement of worms on the bin will stir the contents so that you can have nice vermicompost for your garden.
Conclusion
You have reached the end of this article that discusses how often you should change worm bedding. We have found out that it is ideal to change the worm bedding every six to nine months. On the other hand, if you have a lot of worm bedding worms, then you need to change the bedding frequently. We have also learned that there are different types of worm bedding materials that you can choose from. Make sure to check for the signs that indicate that you need to change the bedding. Thank you for reading!